A traveler to a Jaisalmer becomes an explorer of time, space, and culture. The legacy of generations is there to be discovered in its landscape, streets, fortress and havelis. The delights of a living culture of distinct customs, festivals, markets and the flavors of local cuisine are there to savor.
The focus of this studio was the design of a traveler’s home embedded into this urban treasure house of memory and sensation. The design provided both pragmatic shelter and more importantly, an emotional experience as memorable as the city of which it is a part.
Firstly, we extracted and analyzed the spatial elements of the city through observations and record same through photographs, drawings, posters and diagrams. With insights and attributes, these analytical studies acted as a catalyst to the design process of a traveler’s home within a selected site located deep within the fort. Identifying the differences between a permanent and a temporary shelter, rethinking activities and arranging them in reference to the backdrop of the city, was the major challenge. The spatial designing through conceptual models; the articulation of windows, plinths and staircases; the selection and crafting of materials was considered during the design synthesis.
The studio equipped students to design and vividly communicate proposals that added profound inspiration to travelers’ explorations of the city.
